Nujoma Inaugurates New NNOC Building

Kuvee Kangueehi WINDHOEK The Namibian Founding President, Sam Nujoma, yesterday officially inaugurated the new building of the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC) in the capital with calls for investments in schools and community clubs. Nujoma, who is also patron of the NNOC with such investments, said the country would build a base for talent scouting, developing and nurturing. “In my humble view, this should be the essential and concentrated starting place to restore the state of our national sports,” said Nujoma who also said that the building infrastructure bears witness to the success of the joint efforts of the entire Namibian Olympic fraternity. He urged the sports fraternity to make efforts to assist children, in urban and rural schools, saying that lack of able sports administrators to organize and manage school sports was one of the reasons why most schools do not participate in sports. He said now that the NNOC has its own offices, this would intensify its offices and help instil in the youth the values of good sportsmanship, responsible behaviour, as well as prepare them for a good future. Sport was an important nucleus and yardstick for the social economic development of any nation, and also measures the social well-being of a particular society. “For that reason, our country has a responsibility to use sports to assist our people to move in a particular direction; the direction of a responsible, tolerant, strong and healthy nation; with a unity of purpose,” he said. The former Head of State said it was through concerted efforts aimed at elevating the health of our countrymen and women that the country would achieve the development goals Namibia has set for itself. Despite the achievements, Nujoma warned against infighting and corruption, which have marred the sports fraternity, but also internal squabbles that are detrimental to the overall development of sports and Namibia’s participation in the Olympic games and other related games. Similarly, Nujoma cautioned against sports federations becoming vehicles for attaining personal interests and power aspirations of a few individuals. “Sport is a national asset and sport structures, therefore, belong to all Namibians and not to individuals or groups of individuals,” he said, adding that elected executives should ensure that the principles of good governance are promoted and that sport is administered in the interests of the whole nation. School sport, said Nujoma, was also crucial in empowering young people to live healthy, active and disciplined lifestyles as it not only promotes motor skills of learners, team work and leadership skills, but also acts as a nursery for participants in senior competitions.